GR Ori (Nova Ori 1916)

GR Ori was discovered as a possible nova in 1916. It was recorded at a photographic magnitude of 11.5 on January 30 and faded to 13.0 on February 8. GR Ori has been identified as a 22.8 magnitude blue object. The object has been considered as a distant nova although due to the color there was a suggestion of a WZ – Sge type dwarf nova.

The first detected outburst in 97 years!

On February 11.476 UT 2013, I detected an outburst of GR Ori at magnitude 13.0. An alert notice was sent and the object was quickly confirmed by observers around the world.

Simone Scaring was at the 1.2 meter Mercator Telescope located at the Rogue de Los Muchachos Observatory on La Palma Island (Spain). A spectrum was taken on February 12, but not much emission/absorption lines were seen which indicated a dwarf nova outburst.

We spectroscopically observed GR Ori with the 2.0-m Nayuta Telescope at Nishi-Harima Astronomical Observatory on 2013 February 13. This observation was carried out with the low resolution mode (R~1,000) of the optical spectrograph MALLS which covers the wavelength of 4,000-6,800 A. GR Ori was discovered as a possible nova in 1916 (Thiele 1916, Astron. Nachr., 202, 213), but has long been suspected to be a dwarf nova (e.g. McLaughlin 1945, AJ, 51, 136; Kato et al. 2012, PASJ, 64, 63). The second outburst of GR Ori was found by R. Stubbings on 2013 Feb. 11.476 (UT) at 13.0 mag (vsnet-outburst 15096). Our spectra of this star obtained around 2013 Feb. 13.53 (UT) have a blue continuum showing H-alpha in absorption with an emission core, H-beta in absorption (FWZI~1,800 km/s), and possibly He I 5876 in emission, which give evidence of the dwarf nova nature of GR Ori. Follow-up observations are being continued by OISTER.

Further observations from CCD observers have revealed the presence of superhumps and the classification of this star is a new WZ -Sge type dwarf nova.

The AAVSO light curve of GR Ori is shown with a re-brightening observed at magnitude 16.0. My outburst detection is shown as (SRX)

SDM Telescopes

Tetoora Road Observatory 22" Telescope

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NGC 7635 (Bubble Nebula)

The Bubble Nebula, also known as NGC 7635, is an emission nebula located 8 000 light-years away. This stunning new image was observed by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to celebrate its 26th year in space.

Updated August 13, 2017

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AAVSO Variable Star Observers

I am a Amateur Astronomer who observes variable stars. My first observation on a variable star was in May 1993. On June 8, 2002, my 9th year of observing, I recorded 100,000 visual observations of variable stars being the first Australian observer to do so.
On January 24, 2012 I made my 200,000th variable star observation which was achieved in 18 years and 8 months. I believe only the seventh person in the world to reach this milestone in the history of variable star astronomy.
October 9, 2015 my 250,000th visual variable star observation was recorded! This has taken 22 years and 10 months. Almost 30 observations a night for the past 22 years with an average of nearly 11,000 visual observations per year.
Just five other observers worldwide have made over 250,000 over the past 100 years of variable star astronomy which are, Albert Jones (New Zealand), Dannie Overbeek (South Africa), Hiroaki Narumi, Taichi Kato (Japan) and Gary Poyner (England). Only two of these observers Narumi and Poyner are still activity observing.